Bitcoin Keys Workshop

Bitcoin Wallet Security Workshop: Self-Custody Done Right

Whether you’ve been securing Bitcoin for years or you’ve been putting off self-custody because you’re worried about making a costly mistake, this workshop is for you. This is a hands-on, practical workshop focused on creating, managing, and securing Bitcoin wallets. We’ll take a deep look at the decisions that go into building a secure self-custody setup. We'll discuss everything from generating your seed to protecting it over the long term. The goal of this workshop is not to tell you that there is one “perfect” wallet setup. Instead, we’ll explore the different approaches, understand the risks and tradeoffs behind them, and help you develop a wallet security strategy that makes sense for your own situation.

What we'll cover

Seed generation We’ll look at how wallet seeds are generated and why the process matters. We’ll discuss different approaches to generating entropy, what can go wrong. Wallet security models We’ll explore different wallet configurations and security models, from relatively simple setups to more advanced approaches. We’ll discuss where different wallets and backup strategies fit on the security/convenience spectrum. Common vulnerabilities and failure modes Rather than focusing only on theoretical attacks, we’ll look at the practical ways people actually lose access to Bitcoin. Including compromised devices, lost backups, poor seed storage, human error, inheritance issues, and overly complicated setups. Backups and recovery A wallet isn't truly secure if you don't have a reliable way to recover it. We'll discuss backup strategies, redundancy, recovery procedures, and the importance of thinking through what happens if your primary device disappears. Operational security We'll also discuss the everyday practices that can make a major difference to Bitcoin security. How should you interact with your wallet? What information should you protect? What should you assume about your devices and environment? Advanced considerations For experienced Bitcoiners, we'll use the workshop as an opportunity to reconsider assumptions and critically evaluate existing setups. We’ll discuss questions such as whether your current setup actually protects against the threats you care about, whether your backups are recoverable, and whether your security model has become unnecessarily complicated.

Who should attend?

New to self-custody? If you own Bitcoin but haven't taken the step into self-custody because you're worried about losing your funds or making a mistake, this is a great place to start. We'll break down the concepts and explain why the different choices matter. You don't need to be an expert. Already self-custodying? If you've been managing your own Bitcoin for years, this is an opportunity to step back and audit your assumptions. Security setups tend to evolve over time, and it's easy to accumulate practices without revisiting whether they still make sense. Experienced Bitcoiners? We'll go beyond the basics and examine the reasoning behind different security models, including the tradeoffs involved in more advanced setups. You don't need to have everything figured out before attending. In fact, if you're unsure about your current wallet setup, that's exactly the kind of question this workshop is intended to help you think through.

What you'll leave with

By the end of the workshop, you should have a much clearer understanding of:

• How Bitcoin wallet seeds are generated and why entropy matters • The major risks involved in self-custody • Different approaches to wallet and backup security • The tradeoffs between security and convenience • Common mistakes and vulnerabilities to watch out for • How to evaluate your existing wallet setup • How to design a security model appropriate for your own needs • What questions to ask before trusting a wallet or backup strategy

The emphasis will be on understanding the underlying principles, rather than simply…